Lancashire Lantern
Lancashire Lantern: Lancashire Pioneers
Part of the Lancashire Lantern network, the Pioneers gives details of people who were famous local people in science, technology and innovation. These pioneers were either born in Lancashire or their endeavours made a significant contribution to the development of the County.
David Whitehead - The Whitehead mills
Riots at the Whitehead Mills
In addition to the mill at Balladen Brook, the Whitehead brothers had one at Bridge End.
In 1822, the Whitehead brothers bought land in Rawtenstall from Dr. Law of Newchurch for £999 and commenced to build Higher Mill.
The lease on the mill at Balladen Brook ended and the workpeople were brought down to work at Higher Mill.
The year 1826 was not a good one for cotton manufacturers. Rioters were attacking the mills with power looms and the Rossendale mills came under threat.
William Turner of Helmshore and David Whitehead took a post-chaise to Manchester to get a troop of cavalry to protect their mills but to no avail. The mob of power loom breakers succeeded in breaking the looms at Helmshore and then turned their attention on Rawtenstall.
David Whitehead wrote in his diary:
"I went early in the morning to see if I could get some more cavalry ...but before I could get the cavalry the rioters had been and broken all our power looms"
"Our power looms being broken, our workpeople were thrown out of work, for which we were very sorry. It was not their fault, they had taken no part in the riot. It was our duty to get them into work as soon as we could. So I went immediately after the looms were broken and ordered new ones to replace them. We had anonymous letters sent threatening to burn our factory down."
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